Bonifacio Global City fills its bare walls with gorgeous murals for the 2nd time in their ArtBGC Festival 2016. Working closely with Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc. (BAFI), LeBasse Projects and Honeycomb Communities assemble a talented group of local and international artists to create works that inspire.
This year, there are more than ten new murals to be found around the city from muralists including Kris Abrigo, Trip63, Andrew Schoultz, and Franciso Diaz, just to name a few.
Here’s a quick tour of ArtBGC’s old and new through an artist’s lens…
“Between the Lines” by CYRCLE along 7th avenue corner Federacion drive.
What makes this city unique is its high volume of large, bare walls just begging to be painted.
Website: www.cyrcle.com
IG: @Cyrcle
FB: Cyrcle Brand
Art Mural by Faileart of Brooklyn along 5th Avenue corner 26th street.
By recognizing the potential of the surroundings to transform into canvases, ArtBGC was born.
Left to Right: “Pop Art” by AKA Corleone, “Andres” by Doppel at C1 Building (2015)
The city organized an artistic movement to bring life and to capture the creative spirit of Filipinos that live and work in the area.
AKA CORLEONE
Website: www.akacorleone.com
IG: @akacorleone
DOPPEL
Website: www.doppel.to
If you take a stroll, you’ll notice that practically anything can become a canvas.
“Pilandok” by Egg Fiasco at Bonifacio High Street, Lane P (2015)
You’ll also notice how art and creativity is seamlessly integrated into the surroundings, cutting the monotony of the typical urban life.
IG: @eggfiasco
FB: Egg Fiasco Manila
One of the reasons why artists flock to BGC is because the area is a living gallery that cultivates curiosity and stimulates the creative.
2016 MURALS & ARTISTS
Bunnie Reiss is a painter based in Los Angeles, whose work revolves around magic, fairytales, and folk themes unique to her Polish and Russian background.
A Hamsa Hand By Bunnie Reiss at Mango Tree Bistro, 7th Ave
One of the unique things about Bunnie’s work is how she creatively mixes religious and ancestral folklore into an urban setting. In her family, the Hamsa amulet of protection is passed down to the women of every generation.
Since the Hamsa is such an integral part of the Reiss’ upbringing, she began re-interpreting the symbol in her work after her grandmother’s death.
Reiss worked on two murals for this year’s festival.
By Bunnie Riess at Lane O, 7th Avenue
The inspiration behind this was to introduce a mystical animal, such as the Owl, into an urban environment.
Website: www.bunniereiss.com
IG: @bunnieluvrocks
Trip63 is one of the local delegates in this year’s festival. As a street artist, he aims to challenge the boundaries and conceptions of your typical “graffiti”.
Did you know that his art has taken him to the United States, China, Thailand, Singapore, and Hong Kong?
His piece depicts blooming eyeballs that sprawl along a metropolitan canvas.
The finished piece is impressive and artfully maximizes the canvas.
IG: @trip63
Kris Abrigo (in pink) is a local artist who was an assistant painter in the previous festival, but now he has his own wall!
Noted for his candy-colors and geometric shapes, Abrigo’s works often question mainstream depictions of poverty and social order.
By Kris Abrigo at Net One Center, 26th Street
The mural is inspired by the Personal Protective Equipment chart used by the artist’s target audience: construction workers.
While assisting CYRCLE in last year’s festival, Abrigo was moved by a group of construction workers who would pass by the mural and watch them work before heading home. This scene gave birth to this piece that pays homage to the unsung heroes of the city.
IG: @krisabrigo
Andrew Schoultz, an accomplished muralist based in San Franciso, California, is known for his intricate works depicting socio-cultural, political, and religious themes.
“The Heart of God’s Country” by Andrew Schoultz at W 5th Building, 5th Avenue
Since Andrew is not well versed in the socio-political atmosphere of the Philippines, he decided to make a mural with a more universal theme of nature and regeneration.
This was one of the most poignant works seen around the city for the technical skill and strength of concept.
Website: www.andrewschoultz.com
IG: @aschoultz
“Calamansi and Sampaguita” By Francisco Diaz at BGC Corporate Center along 32nd St
Francisco’s works typically feature colorful flora inspired by his current location and are symbolic, historical narratives of man’s deep-rooted relationship with nature.
Website: www.pastelfd.com.ar
IG: @pastelfd
“Magsasaka” by Archie & Aleili at Burgos Eats
One of the things we noticed was that many of the artists this year went with a floral or nature-themed approach.
By KFK Collective at B1 along Lane 0, 7th Avenue
Since last year, ArtBGC has invited artists from all over the Philippines to join the festival through an Open Call procedure. This year’s winner is KFK Collective, a group of 3 artists composed of Kate Quebrar, Fulgencio Bermejo, and Katrina Almalki.
Grab the opportunity to join next year’s festival as an artist here.
IG: @kfkcollective
Art initiatives facilitated by BGC bring together a collective appreciation of art and culture for everyone.
As an artist, seeing how poignantly passionate individuals are about creativity showed me how incredibly unique the art scene was in the Philippines and beyond.
Monica Llamas (Public Arts Manager of BAFI), Beau Basse (LeBasse Projects), Kayo Cosio (Honeycomb Communities).
Congratulations to Monica Lllams of BAFI, Beau Basse from LeBasse Projects (a design consultancy in California), Kayo Cosio of Honeycomb Communities, and all the individual artists and assistants that made ArtBGC 2016 a reality!
ArtBGC FESTIVAL
Bonifacio Global City, Philippines
Website:www.artbgc.com
Instagram: @artbgc
Live an Awesome Life,
Sheila of Team Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Our experience was courtesy of BAFI. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. Did you know that all the artists’ works are pro bono?
For more info, please visit artbgc.com